Your Morning Dump… Where Rondo is just part of the trend

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Rondo was the fourth Celtic to play for a USA Basketball team in international competition. Two won gold, although Larry Bird was pretty much an afterthought on the one and only Dream Team in 1992.Dominique Wilkins – yes, it's true — was still into his Norma Desmond incarnation when he played on the 1994 world championship team. And Paul Pierce, well, more on him later. Suffice it to say when the Pierce autobiography comes out, there won't be a lot of pages devoted to Indianapolis 2002. He came back from that tournament with a smear that would take years to erase.

This seems pretty unfair. Peter May lays out the mitigating circumstances in his argument… but they are still mitigating circumstances. To say Larry Bird "fell flat" and was an afterthought is unfair. Yes, May is right in saying it's a testament to his career rather than how he was playing at the moment… but saying he was an "afterthought" really is taking a shot at him just to make a point.

I didn't even remember Dominique Wilkins being a member of the C's when he played for Team USA. So really… it was Paul Pierce's squad that fell flat. And that's putting it nicely.

The Rondo thing… it's a mystery. Bethlehem Shoals has a great look at the enigma that is Rondo as he relates to USA Basketball. And anyone who kept a close watch on this whole thing has that question as to whether Rondo ever really wanted to be there. I wonder if Doc pushed him into it… convincing him that it was a good thing for him to do? Or maybe we're just reading Rondo's trademark public stoicism wrong.

That's the problem with your expression not changing when you're in public. People start trying to read into it. Is it aloof, or cool under pressure? Is he disinterested, or focused? We don't know.

What we do know is Rondo went from DNP to withdrawing from the team. It's a curious set of circumstances that may simply be true family issues that needed addressing… or an excuse to leave in an effort to save face.

One thing is for certain… a vast majority of Celtics fans are just fine with him not playing. So while some of us are scratching our heads over this, the rest of you have your arms raised. And in a month, none of this will matter.

Well Danny Ainge did say in the Globe article that: “It was something that he did because he was kind of being told it was the right thing to do by those trying to get him to do it. But it wasn’t something that he was dying to do. So I’m not surprised. And I’m happy to see him finish the summer experience being healthy.’’
So I just assume that’s it. But hey, it’s all good. It was a nice experience for Rondo while it lasted.

michael

With all the injuries going around, I’m not sad about this either. It was surprising, but when they break down the roster, it does make some sense. On one hand I believe if Rondo wanted to be there, there was a spot for him. Then again, how do you send home one of your best shooters in Curry or Gordon? Whatever, I’ll still watch some games.
Rondo, I hope it was just a roster or rest decision and that your family is a-OK.

http://profile.typepad.com/the_bantam the_bantam

Clearly May has done his research, (not really)… you can read in several places quite clearly that Bird gave a lot of support to Jordan, it was Jordan’s team, Jordan’s generation, Jordan’s NBA, and Bird and Magic were there as leaders, vets, and of course for publicity. Taking a dig at him with a broken back is unfair of May. Magic didn’t quite agree but Bird would even tell Magic that Jordan is the man now.
Rondo didn’t really want to be there, (who would anymore?), and that’s ultimately why he’s not on the team.
Remember the USA pic when all the guys were covering logos? That’s what the players think of USA hoops right now. I don’t like it at all, but that’s how it is.

http://profile.typepad.com/laurasaunders Laura Saunders

What is the big deal? No one care about these games. They mean absolutely NOTHING. Rondo has nothing to prove after the season he had-set a Celtic record,kicked Lebron’s ass in the playoffs,and was called “the best all around point guard in the league” by Magic Johnson on national television. Not to mention,this kid logs more minutes than anyone on the team(often playing the entire game. Why risk injury to the one member of the team they CANNOT lose? He should take the time off and enjoy his new star status. We need him healthy and ready to lead us into the playoffs(Hello Lebron!).